The Dreaming
by hightoppsmadness
Summary: Abe has been working for a new organization for years. But now they have found the object of their search, and Abe has fallen head over fins for her.
1. A change of pace

The Dreaming

A Fanfiction by HightoppsMadness

"How are you Abe?" Liz's voice was imploring over the phone.

"Tired, I guess," Abe mumbled into the receiver. It had been a year since they had all quit the B.P.R.D., and things had regulated themselves.

Hellboy and Liz had settled in Ireland, in a sleepy suburb that accepted hem for who they are. Now with their twin children, Liz had a busy day looking after them, while Hellboy went to work at a weapons shop. Things were good for them. The only problem was that Abe had moved far away. He now lived in a nice flat in Venice. However, this meant that whenever Liz called, Abe was sleeping.

"Sorry about that. I never get time to call you earlier." Liz apologized earnestly.

"It's no trouble. I guess it's just with the territory of living in different time zones." Abe answered, eyeing the water on the floor. He'd have to mop that up later.

"So, any girls in your life?" Liz asked, a curious tone changing her pitch.

Abe looked to the bed, where the last one-night stand was sleeping heavily. He had plenty of those, well, kind of. He'd do anything but the final act, only pleasuring her. They would ask him why he wouldn't do it, but he would ignore them, give them breakfast, and show them the door. To be honest, he felt like doing that would betray the woman he loved, the woman who died to save the world; Princess Nuala.

"A few," he admitted. "Nothing serious or worth mentioning though."

"Oh." Liz sounded disappointed, but made light of it. "Well, have you quit that job yet?"

"Yes, thank to good Lord." Abe smiled at the thought. His last job consisted of posing for aquarium posters, as he was the main attraction. He left that damn aquarium right through the damn door. "I've been contacted by a few government agencies, though." he sighed. "The B.P.R.D. tried to call me back, along with the CIA, the FBI, the Secret Service, and the coalition of Mermaids..."

"What's that?" Liz interrupted.

"Some group of mermaids arguing that it is perfectly legal to eat the people they lure into the water." Abe sighed again. "They didn't have any health benefits, and it's not really made for my kind."

Liz could hear the humor and chuckled at his really bad joke. "Any other places catch your eye?"

"One," Abe eyed a letter on his mosaic breakfast table. "The I.S.O."

"What can that be?" Liz arched an eyebrow at the phone.

"The... hang on, let me see the letter, I need to explain this correctly." Abe sifted the phone between his head and shoulder.

"Forgetting things? Oh, Abe, you've lost your touch!" Liz teased.

"Shut up." Abe grumped at her. "I'm just tired. No time for reading four books a day anymore." He peered at the envelope. "It stands for the International Supernatural Organization. It's like the B.P.R.D., only with health benefits, life insurance, freedom to roam, and has many locations of headquarters. The communities around them are aware of the inhabitants, and a few of the agents own their own homes nearby."

"Sounds like a dream job." Liz mused. "Are you going to take it?"

"I don't know," Abe admitted. "The nearest location is in Vatican City. I don't think it would be beneficial for me-"

"Do you want this job?" Liz asked.

"Yes. I do." Abe stated.

"Then take it. Don't think too hard about it." Liz advised him. "By the way, Krauss says hallo, and he'll be moving into Vatican City as well, for some need of teleplasty in a murder case on a Cardinal. You'll have some company, at least."

"Well, then I guess I know where I have to go." Abe put the letter away. "Be sure to let me know when to come for the kids' birthday parties."

When Liz sighed, he chuckled and hung up the phone.


	2. Abe's new life

_0_

Vatican City was bustling with tourists, both of religious people, and historians without faith. They flitted from one building to the next, equally old structure. All but one. The ancient looking building was the I.S.O., a well-known building by the community, but ignored by the tourists. From the entrance emerged Abraham Sapien, the only known Icthyo Sapien to exist. He had lived here for five years, and enjoyed learning its culture and language. He was allowed his own flat with tank, a large water tank in the library to enjoy, a record of existence, an income, and even the ability to leave at his whim. He took in a deep breath, his water respirator whirring along with the air he inhaled. The scent of candles, bakeries, perfumes and incense. He liked that group of smells, and he smiled the best a fish man with no facial muscles could, looking more like a happyish grimace.

It was Sunday morning, the Lord's Day, which was Abe's favorite day. Everyone seemed happier, and the missions were rare on Sundays. He walked down the front steps in his black waterproof suit, with its small nozzles and utility belt, he made quite an interesting person. His blue skin with dark blue stripes shimmered in the sun from the moisture of the water he had slept in that night.

He was used to getting a few odd looks and double takes from the tourists, even a few autographed photos, but the locals treated him as a normal person would be. He even liked it some days, but today was a special occasion for him. Today Liz and Hellboy would come here with their children to begin working in the same sector he was.

Abe went to the market, selecting fresh foods and new books to read. It had taken him four years to finish off the I.S.O. library, and now he was in the mood for Lord Byron and perhaps a good romance novel. It had been a while since he had read one. After he purchased all his items from various places, he went to his apartment building. It was

exclusive to the I.S.O. workers only, but most of the tenants were human. Some were even families, like the Pykes in 5A. He flashed his I.S.O. Identification Card on the scanner and slipped inside his home, apartment 6C. It was a neoclassical furnished two bedroom apartment, complete with a large kitchen and a breakfast nook. He had kept the furniture from the flat in Venice he had liked most, like the mosaic table and the cherry wood bookshelf.

Abe started cooking his own food for years now, just after learning to cook. For a while though, it had been terrible. He used to burn everything, or it would not taste as it should. Now that he had gotten the hang of it, his food was perfect. By the time he had finished the curry chicken, it was late in the afternoon. The buzzer rang, and Abe hurried to answer it. The door opened to reveal Liz and Hellboy along with the twins, Samantha and Sheldon.

"Abe!" Liz threw her arms around him in a tight hug, while the twins ran inside. Hellboy grinned at the sight of the group together again.

"Uncle Abe! Uncle Abe!" Samantha tugged his webbed hand. "Guess what? Mommy and Daddy are going to work where you do!"

"And we're moving in next door!" declared Sheldon.

"That's great!" Abe did his best to try at a smile, and the pinkish children returned it.

"Yeah, we can be the old team again!" Hellboy threw his arms open in excitement and scooped up Samantha in his stone hand. Abe's smile dimmed.

"I...I already have a team, though," Abe looked from Liz to Hellboy. "I'm sorry. I'm sure we'll work together though."

They accepted it in stride, and they were welcomed with a curry chicken dinner.


	3. Getting started

The next morning, Liz and Hellboy were at the I.S.O. headquarters, getting the beginning tour. They had low expectations at the humble, decrepit looking building's outside, but the inside was opulent. White marble covered everything, and twin spiraling staircases went on forever. A sky light was in the ceiling, and underneath it was a large cushion filled with air, like what a stunt man would land on.

Liz looked to the well coifed woman at the white marble desk. "What's that for?"

"Oh, the helicopter landing pad." the woman answered simply, then went back to work. Liz was going to ask what she meant, but a loud chopping noise came from the roof, presumably a helicopter. Hellboy and Liz relished the familiar sound, then rushed to separate the twins, who had lit a vase of flowers on fire by joining hands and looking at it.

Their lecture on how it was wrong to light random things on fire was interrupted when people started falling through the sky light.

"Oh, Lord! He's going to die!" Liz shrieked, pointing to the young man in a trenchcoat and ripped jeans.

He was falling head first, until flames burst from his shoulders, along with what looked like charred bones, forming skeletal wings on fire. He used them to fly over the pad and the stunned people on the floor, a roar of triumph on his lips.

He landed on his feet, next to a large pair of double doors in between the stairways, just beneath the large gilded painting on the wall. Looking back at them, the grin on his lips became a smirk.

"Ah, these are the former B.P.R.D. agents, right?"

"Yeah," Liz held Sheldon's hand tightly. She didn't like the looks of this guy. He was too risky, and would be the one to teach these children bad habits.

"Hey there. You must be Liz and Hellboy then!" his smirk grew admiring. "Aw, I've heard all about you! You guys are my idols-"

"KYLE STUDMAN LAYKERS!" Came a loud harsh voice, and the young man cringed.

A thunderous sound of someone landing in the cushion brought all eyes to a small, frail looking young woman. Her golden hair was set in pigtails, her green eyes shining in anger.

"You let me fall onto the cushion to show off!" she roared. Hellboy could tell this was his girlfriend, as he could recall several occasions when Liz had used this tone with him.

He suddenly got the feeling she and Liz would have great fun together, and desperately wished he was wrong. The young man, Kyle, shuffled his feet on the pristine floor, abashed of his actions. He looked up at Hellboy and his family.

"This is Isabella, one day Laykers," he hugged her close.

"Not if you stay this pig headed!" she grumped, then turned back to the cushion, just as a blue figure fell through the sky light, legs spread and kicking, arms raised, as if they were diving in water.

They landed on the cushion gracefully, in a kneeling position, without much sound. Unfortunately, they fell off the cushion and landed on their face in a heap, with a small "oh, dear!" to punctuate the comedy of such a spectacle.

"Abe!" Hellboy was glad to see his old friend among all these strangers as he stood.

"Red, I'm on the job. Call me Blue," Abe warned, but it was too late.

"Abe? As in THE Abe?" a voice rang through the air as a bespeckled boy burst through the door. Actually, he seemed as if he was in his thirties, but his boy-like wonder made him appear younger.

"Oh, great," Abe sighted him and huffed.

"Blue, you never told me you were friends with Hellboy!" the man furrowed his brow at Abe.

"That's because I keep my private life to myself," Abe ground out through his teeth. Apparently, Abe had an unfortunate history with the man, who was shaking Hellboy's hand vigorously.

"Oh, Mister Hellboy sir, it's an honor to work with you. My name is Simon, Simone over there is my sister," he gestured to the coifed woman at the desk, who looked his complete opposite. "I'm Blue's team advisor. But once we get you guys accustomed to our policies, some of Blue's team will transfer to you."

Simone stepped into position, shooing Simon and Abe's team through the doors. "You

need to go debrief the mission, then get lunch." She turned to Liz and Hellboy. "Hello. Now that the Blue team has come in, I'll be the one to guide you through."

"Great," Hellboy lifted Samantha on his shoulder. "Do you mind telling me why there's a big half-naked lady on the wall?"


	4. new surroundings and feelings

"Oh, yes!" Simone turned to look at the gilded painting above the doors. "That's our reason for existing, sir. That is a painting of our judge. She is born of man, but her conception is said to be from the bowels of Hell. Her soul, however, bears the Holy Spirit, which will take over the moment our judgement comes to pass. It is she who we strive to find among the people one day."

"Oh, so this is some religious crap?" Liz arched an eyebrow. "Or some kind of cult?" She wondered what Abe had gotten himself into.

"Heavens, no!" Simone laughed. "We have to say it like that for appearances. This IS Vatican City after all."

Her mood turned serious again, and she pointed to the staircase on the right. "That leads to our captivity rooms, interrogation rooms, and booking processes." She turned to the other staircase. "This one leads to the gym, cafeteria, health center, babysitting, gardens, research area, and the main entrance to the library, where your friends Blue likes to spend time in a recreation tank."

Liz and Hellboy nodded in understanding, and Simone went on. "Every agent gets a badge, and a steady paycheck. We have apartment complexes for our workers, but you are free to live elsewhere. You will be getting a lot of drop-of -a-hat calls, so we have babysitting for your children. You also have full health care and dental."

"Sweet, dental." Hellboy grinned with his devil-may-care attitude.

They stepped through the doors, and they found the hallway behind them to be familiar. Sterile shining walls, marble floors, and glass that was everything proof made up the hallway.

"These are our debriefing and assignment rooms. We spend much of our time here, because we take all the jobs too difficult for the other agencies. We are the leading force in all things abnormal. We work to integrate the Sons of Adam and Children of the Earth. But we also take those who harm the others. There are humans in the jail cells who have murdered our people, make no mistake about that." Simone gravely intoned.

Hellboy caught sight of Abe and Simon in a room. They were yelling, waving arms and standing, murmurs of their voices echoing through the plexiglass. He found this interesting. Red had never seen Abe yell. He had never seen him smart off to a superior officer, let alone fight.

"Who is the person in charge of the children?" Liz asked, gripping Sheldon's hand.

"One of our most child oriented agents." Simone answered. "Her name is Ramona, and she will gladly speak with you. Half the children there are hers anyway," she sighed, then looked at the confused mother. "She is a Celtic fertility spirit embodied in a Spanish woman born near a lake. Very safe. And she IS trained to care for all kinds, even ones who

can light things on fire."

Simone opened a door, revealing locker rooms full of men and women in various stages of dress.

"Our locker rooms are co-ed, but there is a STRONG agreement about harassment."

The click of makeup containers and aftershave lids rang out, steam pouring out of the shower stalls. Liz recognized the blonde woman from earlier, wearing a blue striped bra and panty combo.

"Hey, Simone! Close the door would ya, you're letting in a draft!" she grumped, and Simone let the door shut.

They walked down another corridor, and chestnut doors took up the entire end of the hallway, grand and ornate.

"This is the library. We have several back entrances to this place. Blue should be in any time."

Alarms rang out, and people began to scramble, guns being strapped into holsters. A radio on Simone's thin belt started picking up orders.

"On second thought, perhaps he will be busy. I'll take the children to Ramona if you want to help." Simone offered.

"Thanks." Liz kissed the children. "We love you. Be good, no fire."


	5. familar situations

That night, Gloria helped Roy find all of the needles in the apartment.

"How do you even keep up with where all of them are? They are in every crevice of this place!" she exclaimed, pulling one from a curtain rod.

"I know. That's how I kept track. If it looks like it can hold a needle, there is probably one there." Roy dumped a fistful of them into a bio-hazard bin they borrowed from a local hospital. "Now to get rid of the drugs. The hard part."

"It's too late to back out, I won't let you," Gloria pulled a small bag from under the DVD player. "You hid these just as well. By the way, how could you afford heroin? That stuff isn't cheap here."

"I'm pretty wealthy, I just don't spend it in the right places I guess." Roy shrugged, pulling two bags out from under the couch. "There's another under the bed, if you could get that one."

"I got rid of that one two weeks ago after finding it." Gloria replied. It struck him how calmly she took this.

"So how are you handling this all so well?" he couldn't help but indulge his curiosity.

She shrugged and dumped the two kilos of raw heroin into the paper sack she opened. "I did the same thing after my mother told me to hide her drugs several times, when the police would do searches. When they had warrants. My mother was not a very good one, so I lived with a councilor. That's why I understand it all so well. It is usual for me, but I am still concerned. This is the easy part. It aches now, doesn't it?"

He looked at the floor in front of him, ashamed. "Yeah. It's dull, but it's there."

"Soon, it will become a cramp here and there. A few hours later, pure agony. You've been doing this for years, built up a tolerance, upped your dosage, and almost overdosed for so long, that your symptoms are something to be feared. It's amazing that you aren't already on the floor, crying." her factual manner wasn't helping him stay calm. "This will go on for a few weeks, and you will experience other unpleasantries, but you will hopefully survive. It is better to die sober, than to never realize you are dead, like my mother."

"You know so much about this. You've suffered so much. How do you go on?" Roy looked at her in a new light.

"Because if I don't, I'll end up like the councilor, and have myself taken away by the asylum. And I will not load a gun with my goodbyes to end this. There will be no one to mourn me, but that does not mean that I have no one to live for. Now I have you," she smiled weakly at him.

This must have been killing her inside, watching him slowly kill himself. He was glad he was kicking this habit. Maybe he could give her a better smile when he stopped this damned aching.

Just as she had predicted, it was only a matter of hours before he lost the ability to form proper thoughts, as the pain was so intense. He would twist in agony, and quietly moaned. She would sit next to his spasming body, keeping his head in her lap. Gloria would brush his hair out of his sweaty face, and canceled all of her appearances for the next month, saying it was a family emergency. Luthor didn't understand, but there wasn't much he could do.

"Glor...ia..." Roy strained to use his voice.

"What do you need, meine liebe?" she kept her voice low and soothing.

"Need... Glori...a.." he whimpered, and she took a cold damp washcloth to his forehead.

"I'm here, meine Liebe, Ich bin heir." she took to her Germanic language whenever she was soothing him, and he didn't understand her. Not like he could if she were speaking any other language. He couldn't articulate what he wanted, but he was satisfied with what she would give him.

Occasionally, she would use a wet sponge and attempt to bathe him, and she would calmly dispel any paranoia he had.

"They'll know that I'm weak. The crime rates will shoot up. I have to go, I have to get out of here." Roy would groan.

"No, you don't. Superman runs this city, he'll take care of it. Just heal yourself for now." Gloria stroked his dirty hair and shushed him.

The pain wasn't the worst of it. When the paranoia was gone, the knowledge of having the lack of dignity disturbed Roy. Gloria had to help him change his sweaty, dirty clothes, and helped him when he was vomiting, and sometimes dry heaving. She would give him tissues for all the sneezing he had, and blankets for the chills. She would sing to him old Austrian lullabies to help him stay calm. She was everything he needed and more.

Only someone who was truly loving would deal with so much crap from one person. He felt he didn't deserve her, and probably never would. But she stayed with him, all through it, and kept praying quietly for him.

It took him three weeks to be able to function correctly. It took him two more to stop feeling the dull ache from the symptoms finally leaving. He was surprised. Roy had done some research once, and for someone as forgone as he was, it should have taken him about two months to be able to pick himself off the floor. He was still crawling in his skin, but it was bearable. Gloria had been so good about all this, and he wouldn't put her in this situation again.


	6. an all too real nightmare

Silence permeated the air, saturating it in anticipation of the maneuver. Abe gave Simon the go- ahead, and Simon's ability shone through, his eyes taking on a slitted pupil, reflecting the small amount of light around them. Tan fur grew quickly and quietly across his skin, almost like fuzz. He crouched down as his bone structure shifted, giving only a small grunt in pain. That was always the worst part for him. But the end of it was so gratifying, as he took on the form of a lion! He stalked out into the open where he could see the shifter.

"Come out, demon!" he roared through his whisker clad lips. "Make this easy so you don't have to serve as much time!"

"I have to protect her!" the shifter called back. "If I leave, you'll doom her to her fate!"

Liz quietly lit her inner fire, and Hellboy loaded the Samaritan. While Simon had been communicating with the Shifter, they had been sneaking into the building. They were so close to him that Liz could see the scars all over his shiny, mottled skin. She lit the surrounding floor around him on fire, then Hellboy let out three rounds into the creature's back, not enough to kill it, but to incapacitate it.

Abe's team had entered with them, and they split off in a different direction to find the 'her'. Over the closed frequency radio channel, Abe whispered.

"I found her. Oh, God, I found her."

The cleanup crew had arrived, and the Shifter had gotten medical attention and been put under arrest in cuffs that kept him in a human form. His shark like eyes were wide in fear when the words sounded over the radio.

"No! Don't take her! The people can't take her! She's special!"

Abe had led the rest to the room he found her in. She was a young woman, with light blue tinted skin. It had dark blue stripes that stretched from her jaw line to the apples of her blue cheeks and a few lighter ones that encircled her arms and torso. Ebony hair floated around her unconscious form in the tank. The glass that encased her in water was grimy and covered in dirt, much like the water it contained. Symbols in different ancient languages covered the brass latches, all saying the same thing: do not open.

Simon assessed the situation and called the rest of the cleanup crew. "Take the tank. With her in it. We found our main objective."

When they arrived back in Vatican City, the groups were debriefed, then dismissed. Isabella and Kyle went home, as usual, bickering about dinner. Liz and Hellboy were more interested in getting the kids into bed, as it was pretty close to three in the morning. But Abe had no reason to go home. From the moment he saw the girl, he couldn't stop thinking of her. What were they doing to her right now? Was she awake? Were there others like her? What if she knew how they got in those tanks? The one she was found in was older than his was, and the tank itself was much more dilapidated, but what if she could fill that void in his memory? What if she knew what happened to the rest of their race? All he knew of her was that she was the Alpha, the Judge of all humanity, the personification of the Holy Spirit. That didn't say much about her, to be honest. For now, she was just a lady in a big jar.

He walked towards the library in a daze, not really seeing where he was going or hearing what was said to him. He had almost reached the doors when he ungloved his hands. From the almost psychic natured connection, he picked up a random thought that was in a voice he had never heard before.

'Help me, please, Lord in Heaven, it hurts!'

The voice was female, and sounded so calm, yet sorrowful, that it made him want to cry, though he had only ever cried once.

He trembled at the sound of the voice, a trembling not born of fear, but of compassion. Whoever this voice belonged to, she was in dire need of help, and he was the only one to know it. He followed the intensity of the brain waves, desperate to find the owner of the voice.

'I'm coming. Do not worry, I will help you.' he sent his thoughts out, but knew that unless the owner had the same ability set he had, she would not hear him-

'Thank you, dear sir. I await your assistance. Please hurry, I fear they may harm me farther!'

Abe was starting to panic, and he pushed agents out of the way as he started running, not caring if what they're holding was knocked down, coffee spilt, or curses yelled. He knew where the voice was coming from, and he needed to get there. Fast. He ran at top speed, and even had to jump over a few obstacles, people, and tables to get there faster. Speed was key in this mission. If he didn't get there soon, she would go from pain to dead. Seconds could be the difference.

The doors of the experimental lab blew open, and Abe slid in on his side, a gun at the ready. Since he had joined the I.S.O., his training had made him comparable to a freelancer, or a sniper, or in short, a badass. But this was instinctual now, and this was how he handled hostile situations these days. His job made him so.

"Put down the needle!" he roared at the white coated man. He was balding and wore thick horn rimmed glasses, and he was quite surprised by the interruption.

"Agent Blue," the doctor raised his eyebrows. "What brings you to the experimental lab? We've already done your bloodwork, you have no need-"

"You're hurting her!" Abe growled, his eyes scanning the room. "Where is she?"

"I don't know what you're-"

"I asked WHERE IS SHE!" Abe used a tone he had only started using after a series of traumatic missions. He had seen things he wished he had never seen. He had done things he couldn't undo. This new job was fulfilling, but it came at a steep price. Now instead of a pure intellectual, he was now also a vicious killer. "I want to SEE HER NOW!"

A section of the chrome walls slid back to reveal the woman he had found in the tank earlier. He was sickened by what they had done to her. Her beautiful long ebony tresses were hacked off at the neck, and tubes were jammed into her delicate gills. Her long fingers splayed across the glass, trying to bang on the tank that held her.

'Thank God you came! Help! They want to cut me up, and I can't get out! The water, it burns! It's shocking my system, and I can't leave!'

"You're hurting her! Let her go!" Abe growled.

"Agent Blue, you must understand. This young woman, she is the doorway to understanding. If she doesn't live, well, that's a risk we have to take." the doctor eyed the needle in his hand, and turned back to his prisoner. "It's a shame that she won't be around for much longer, she is a fine specimen of the female persuasion, but she will die in the name of science. Surely you can understand that?"

A bullet exploded the needle syringe he was holding.

"Ah. I guess not."


	7. strange new world, with a badass Abe

"I am only going to ask this once more. Let. Her. GO." Abe glared down the barrel of the glock 18 he held at the doctor. "NOW."

The doctor held his hands up in surrender, the glass fragments of the syringe lodged in his right palm, oozing blood and viscous liquid. He stepped over to the tank controls, and with a simple switch, the release was ordered. Water spilled down, covering the floor and sweeping away anything that wasn't bolted down. The woman fell, landing hard on the linoleum tile that constituted the floor. The tubes in her thin neck stretched, and she wretched on the floor.

"Get... get them... out... please!" she gasped, trying to yank them out, but only causing herself harm.

"Hold on, wait, stop!" Abe rushed to her side, gently pulling out the tubes one by one. "We'll get you out of this, don' t worry."

He helped her up, and she held on to him tightly. "Don't let them get me. Please, just get me out of here. It's scary, and they keep saying 'dissect.' I'm not an experiment. Please, just help me."

"It's going to be alright. I'm going to get you out of here. Can you walk?" she nodded, and Abe took her hand. "We have to go. Now."

"Thank you, Abraham." the woman whispered as they started for the exit. They made it down the marble spiral staircase as agents started bursting from offices and cell blocks.

"How do you know my name?" Abe looked at her. He could sense a well of information in her, but he could only gather certain facts from her, like she could pick and choose what he could hear. Silly facts like she had a brother who was allergic to bee stings, though it was never a problem, since they lived in the water.

"Every water born can hear the thoughts of others. It is essential to know where they are, since we are so rare anymore." she replied as he flashed his I.D. to enter the apartment building. "My gills are burning."

"That's because of all the air that you're taking in. We've been running for a quarter mile, breathing in only air, and no water." Abe took her hand and led her into his apartment, then pushed her towards his water tank. "We'll talk in there."

They climbed in and sighed at the return of their life source. Abe looked upon the woman. She was so young, yet the tank she was found in was so old! Could their kind live a much longer time than he had originally theorized?

"What is your name?" Abe decided to start with the basics.

"Millennium. Millennium Rosalie of the Covenant." the woman answered in a very direct way.

"Why did all the symbols on your tank say to not open it?" Abe went in for another necessity.

"People fear my power. It is not even truly mine. When I die by the hands of some violent act, as is my destiny, I shall bring about the judge of humanity. It shall be that force of which I summon that will either call upon the angels or upon the Red One to destroy the human race. Therefore, they kept me from themselves. If I die a peaceful death, then the Judge will decide to spare the air breathers."

"Do you know where you are?"

"I am in your home." Millennium stated simply. "I was in a glass prison where they gave me water that was chlorinated. This water is nice and fresh with no chemicals. I like this water much more."

"We are in Vatican City. Do you know where that is?" Abe asked.

"Is that near Rome? Can I see my master Nero about all this? I haven't seen him since all this started." Millennium asked, and Abe sat in shock for a moment.

"You were around just before the fall of Rome." Abe rubbed a webbed hand over his head, trying to gather a delicate sentence.

"He is no longer around, I take it." Millennium didn't seem upset at all. Almost as stoic as one who feels no sorrow at all. "He was not very kind anyway. Rome is still around, but I assume it is not the same as the Rome I know. It is... modernized. Like the rest of the world. Am I outdated? Must I relearn all that I know?"

"Yes. We now live in a world where people do not trust one another. And for good reason. These days, only a few people are really trustworthy." Abe looked at the bottom of the tank. The depths were murky from the lack of light filtering in. He wished he had something more uplifting than that to say, but he really didn't. When he read people, he could see all the most horrible things they thought, the sickest, most twisted fantasies they had in their minds. And worst of all, those were just the good people. The crude ones, well, he couldn't even think of the things that went on in there.

"Life in my time were much the same. Though, now that I am awake, the past is getting harder and harder to remember. I cannot recall my husband's name, for example. I believe him to be dead. He was much like you, only he was cruel. But I had to marry him, or I would have been murdered by my master for disobeying. I didn't want him to condemn the rest of humanity to a life in eternal damnation."

"But you don't have to live like that anymore." Abe started. "You can start again. You can be whoever you want to be."

"Then I want to be Millennium. Just Millennium. I don't want to be the old me. I want to be someone else." she looked into Abe's eyes. "Why does that worry me? Do people accept me in this time?"

"Not everyone, no. But the people here do. We just have to repeal your status as a subject from the I.S.O. and get you a place to live."

"I like it here, with you. I feel safe with you." Millennium wasn't subtle, that was for sure. It was going to be a strange life.


End file.
